The Russian Foreign Ministry says the country's foreign minister and his U.S. counterpart have discussed upcoming talks on Syria by phone.

The ministry said on February 10 that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State John Kerry agreed on the need for a cease-fire in Syria and the provision of humanitarian aid to blockaded areas.

Kerry and Lavrov are to meet with foreign ministers from Europe and the Middle East in Munich on February 11 in a bid to revive efforts to end the five-year-old war.

UN-brokered peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition broke down in Geneva last week after an offensive by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russian air strikes, against Western-backed rebels.